Israel's UN Statement on Rantisi

Rantisi turned his craft from the healing of children, to the killing of children.

Statement by Ambassador Dan Gillerman,
Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations,
Before the Security Council

Mr. President,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the Presidency and express our appreciation for your wise stewardship.

Today, the Jewish people and the people of Israel commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. I know that all delegates will join with me in commemorating the memory of the six million victims of the Holocaust, innocent Jews who suffered unspeakably at a time when there was no Jewish State to defend them.

Mr. President,

It is with regret that the Council has been compelled to convene again on this day not to condemn the murder of innocent civilians by organizations such as Hamas, but to denounce the demise of a key architect of those massacres. As we have said time and again, this pattern of activity only harms the prestige and reputation of the Council.

Just hours before the targeted counter-terrorist operation against Mr. Rantisi, the organization which he headed, claimed responsibility, together with the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, for yet another suicide attack - this time at the Erez Crossing where Palestinian workers enter Israel daily. The attack killed 20 year-old Kfir Ohayon of Eilat, a guard at the crossing, and injured several others. It was perpetrated by an individual who had been given a license to work in Israel, and against a person whose primary task was to facilitate the entry of Palestinian workers to their places of employment. In recent days there has also been repeated and indiscriminate Qassam rocket fire at civilian communities in Israel and continued attempts to perpetrate acts of terrorism.

On any fair and balanced account, these acts of terror should be the focus of the Council's specific attention, not the acts of self-defense necessary to prevent them.

Mr. President,

Were the current Palestinian leadership a genuine partner in peace, defensive actions such as the one Israel was recently compelled to undertake would not have been necessary. The Palestinian obligation to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, arrest terrorists, confiscate illegal weapons and stop incitement is as obvious and fundamental a legal imperative as it is a moral one. Under the Road Map, Security Council resolutions, signed agreements and international law, the Palestinian Authority is required to arrest murderers like Rantisi - not give them protection and safe haven. This is what the international community demands in the global fight against terrorism.

If there is something "extrajudicial" here it is the total refusal of the Palestinian leadership - for years - to act against terrorism in violation of every judicial standard.

I need not repeat the litany of cold-blooded murder, which Mr. Rantisi was responsible for, and intent on continuing. He was a radical terrorist leader that joyfully and publicly celebrated the murder of innocent men women and children, sought to destroy any peace initiative, and called for the destruction of Israel by force of arms. He believed that violence was the "only option". He developed alliances with terrorist groups operating around the world, supported by regimes in Syria and Iran, and was committed to fostering terrorism in Iraq and throughout the Western world. A pediatrician by training, this doctor led the campaign to mobilize women and children for use in suicide bombings. He turned his craft from the healing of children, to the killing of children.

Rantisi was a trader in death, a doctor of death, and no one should be surprised that he paid the price for it. For those who criticize his targeting as "extrajudicial" - let me say that we are sensitive to these concerns. Were it possible to arrest Mr. Rantisi, while minimizing harm to civilian life, Israel would have done so, as is its usual practice. But in the absence of any cooperation from the Palestinian Authority, and any viable means of arrest, Israel is sometimes left no choice but to target those who plan, orchestrate and execute the murder of our innocent civilians.

We are engaged in an armed conflict against terrorism of an unparalleled scale, magnitude and brutality. It is no good to affirm in theory Israel's right to defend itself in this conflict, but then in practice seek to deny us the right to specifically target those illegal combatants directly responsible, as well their command and control structure. We do so in a manner that is both necessary and proportionate, and when no other realistic option of detention or prevention exists. In these circumstances, such actions are wholly consistent with international law and we have little doubt that nations similarly faced with such a horrific choice would act accordingly - and indeed have done so, and are doing so, with the support or acquiescence of the international community.

The targeting of Mr. Rantisi was not merely a necessary defensive act to prevent ongoing and planned attacks against innocent civilians, it is part of the global struggle against terrorism that has been thrust upon all of us. It sends a clear message that those who deal in terrorism, those who have exported airplane hijackings, kidnappings and suicide bombings to the world, will have no immunity.

In line with Security Council resolutions 1368, 1373, 1377 and others, this action makes clear that those who harbor or tolerate terrorists, let alone those who forge alliances with them, must be held accountable. The Palestinian leadership, and other regimes in our region cannot brazenly violate international law by supporting terrorists, and then seek to deny Israel the right to protect itself against them, a right guaranteed under that same law.

The entire world knows that Hamas is a terrorist organization committed to the destruction of Israel and of the hopes of peace by the deliberate massacre of innocent civilians. The entire world, including the Arab world, knows that Hamas is the enemy of peace and stability in the region and that there is a clear obligation to dismantle this terrorist organization. Although politics and rhetoric may silence this, the defensive targeting of Mr. Rantisi is no doubt a relief for many innocent Palestinians whose life he endangered by the strategy of terrorism and the rejection of peace he so defiantly championed.

Mr. President,

The draft resolution presented before you, is yet another example of misrepresentation and double standard. It focuses yet again on the response to terrorism rather than the terrorism itself. It grossly distorts reality. And it seeks to bully the Council to score political points. It is a document that any fair-minded Councilshould be ashamed to adopt, and that any fair-minded delegation should be ashamed to sponsor.

Mr. President,

As I have said, there cannot be peace and terror. There cannot be peace and Hamas. But as the struggle against terrorism continues, and at considerable risk, Prime Minister Sharon has launched a bold and unprecedented initiative to bring new hope and opportunity to the peace process. The disengagement plan, when approved, will lead to the evacuation of settlements and military installations in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. This move is not required by the Road Map, but as Mr. Sharon has declared, it is an opportunity to restart the Road Map process to which Israel remains committed. Prime Minister Sharon's bold initiative deserves the support of the international community, and of this Council, and we are grateful for the many expressions of support we have received. As the Secretary-General's Special Coordinator recently announced before the Council this proposed step "should be welcomed by all".

In the absence of a peace partner, Israel has been compelled to propose this unprecedented initiative itself, but it hopes and plans to implement it in a coordinated fashion that will ensure stability and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, provide a sound humanitarian infrastructure and rekindle the peace process.

This initiative is completely consistent with Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, despite claims to the contrary, it supports and can facilitate the two-state solution in the context of the Road Map process, and indeed is also consistent with previous peace proposals. As Israel has declared, we remain committed to a negotiated solution to all permanent status issues that will guarantee peace, security, prosperity, and stability for both peoples, as well as secure and defensible borders. As always, we recognize that no permanent peace agreement can be imposed - it must be agreed by negotiations between the parties. This is also set out very clearly in the statements issued in connection to the disengagement plan, for those who have taken the care to read them.

For those who have sponsored and tolerated terrorism, and sought for decades to prejudge the outcome of negotiations by pushing one-sided resolutions through the United Nations, to complain of a so called "unilateralist approach" is the height of hypocrisy that totally, and perhaps deliberately, misunderstands this historic and courageous initiative.

This is a moment of opportunity, a chance for the Palestinian side to prove finally that it is capable of a new and responsible leadership that fights terror and prefers the welfare of its people to the personal wealth of its leaders.

The heart of this initiative is the evacuation of settlements - something the Palestinian side has long called for. And yet, so far the Palestinian leadership has acted consistently with its long tradition of never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

As I have said before, the Palestinian leadership has a choice - and the international community, and this Council, should encourage it finally to make the right one. It need not be on the wrong side in the war against terror. It can also choose a different path. It can prove to the world that it is ready to assume responsibilities, not just assume privileges. It can show that it is ready to establish a democratic society that will respect the rights of its people, and the rights of its neighbors, and not another terrorist dictatorship in the heart of the Middle East.

Israel is ready, as always, to be a partner in peace with such a leadership.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 16

(16)
Anonymous,
January 6, 2009 3:40 AM

Gaza/Isreal

Would somebody please ask Rantisi why he is forcing Isreal to take over Gaza?
Somebody might have the notion to connect the Med to the Ephrates in an instant through his neighborhood.

(15)
Howard,
May 22, 2004 12:00 AM

US Making the Same Mistakes as Israel

One hopes a country learns from other's mistakes, but far from learning, the US is making the same mistakes as Israel.

1. Ignore Moderate Arabs. The US would have done far better in establishing a new government in Iraq had it established ties with moderate Arabs and Muslims, and relied upon their advice. Unfortunately, the "we know best and "don't need advice" is a hallmark of both the Bush and Sharon administrations.

2. They hate us so don't worry what we do. Under this theory, if Israel developed sound systems of governance and provided jobs and natural resources, or destroyed a Palestianian economy and caused malnutrition, it would not matter. The only thing they understand is strength Sharon and Bush explain. Unfortuately, the current mess the US is entangled in and 4 years of bloodshed in Israel show the opposite.

4. The Ratio is what is important. Some say the cost in lives is critical. Sharon explains, no what is important is the ratio. Between 1994 and 1999, we failed to retaliate, even though there was peace, prosperity, and only
little loss of life, they was bad. Now, we also retailiate killing a least twice the number of our deaths, and maintain a healthy ratio.

5. Ignore Europe. European leaders with credibility in the Arab world could have served as useful itnermediaries, to counsel, mediate, and advise. Here again Bush and Sharon show surprising similarities. We know best, we're smarter than the European countries and beside they're weak, they explain. Thus, the possibility of negotiated resolution is eliminated in favor a long war.

(14)
raye,
April 27, 2004 12:00 AM

Oil, public relations and bribery

The oil conglomerate can afford the most expensive U.S. public relations firms that money can buy. Also I read an article by a wellknown U.S. journalist who had interviewed Adolf Hitler who said: "Everybody has their price, and you'ld be surprised how low that price can be."

(13)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

terrorists must be brought to trial...

Although you, Israel, have eliminated one major terrorist.. without trial... surely you could have had an Eichmann like trial... the big terrorist fish is still accountable...

(12)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

UNILATERAL WITHDRAWEL

I FIRMLY BELIEVE ISRAEL IS MAKING A GRAVE MISTAKE BY GIVING IN TO TERROR. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF UPROOTING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE? IF YOU GIVE MORE LAND TO THE PALESTINIANS YOU WILL BE FIGHTING FROM WITHIN YOUR OWN BORDERS.

(11)
Meredith,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Reaching out

As Jews we must always reach out, hoping that there will be a positive response, a quickened conscience, that will make a tangible difference. Yet, we mush always be aware that self preservation is a moral imperative. I applaud the patience, and understand the need for direct action when that saves more lives than the alternative. Thank you for sharing the speech with us. It encourages me that there is still a sane, reasoning reaching out by Yisrael to the world.

(10)
Simcha Vernimmen,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Looking for PEACE in all the wrong places

Has Israel forgot to ask G-d what it should be done with Palestinians? and Mr Sharon remembers it is not his Israel to give, but G-d's? I think HE settled the boundaries long time ago. Lets go for it.

(9)
Steven Lukens,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Excellent article. About time we stand up to injustice in the United Nations.

Mark Twain, I think, said "The squeaky gear gets the grease".
It's about time we speak up for Israels right to defend herself, and kill any terrorists.
If Jews were more fighters there would be alot more of us.
Sometimes I think we are too good for our own good.
Any other country would have taken the West Bank and probably the Sinai Peninsula too and permanently annexed them.
Everyone in this world should look after their own best self interest, and I hope Israel does too.
May God bless. Amen. Selah.

(8)
neal f gagnon,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

tax dollars?

shalom;
what is money,a few dollars; compared to the telling of the truth ? if no one speaks the truth for Israel , then she stands alone. prayfully , someone will be touched by it and vote in favor or Israel. be safe, neal

(7)
Robert Rogoff,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

Jonathan Pollard

It is beyond belief that spy Vanunu is free and Jonathan Pollard is in jail for nearly 20 years, with no end in sight.

(6)
Gerald Mandel,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

brilliant!

Once again the truth has been told, accurately, honestly, passionately. If only we could believe that what was expressed will not fall on deaf ears.

(5)
Jemima Blume,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

What good is the "un"

Just as we never know which mitzvah will be the one that changes the world, we never know what well constructed argument at the un will turn the tide there. Speaking the truth, no matter how futile it seems, is better than letting the barking jackals have the world stage to themselves.

(4)
Anonymous,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

media war

I disagree with David Ghedini. The Palestinians have public opinion on their side even though their position is so obviously ridiculous, because they put a huge focus on public relations, on wooing the media and having their help in twisting their story so that they sound like the persecuted underdogs. While it is true that some people support the Palestinians because they hate Jews and it's a great new excuse to express it, there are many people that are just not informed. They get all their information from the media, and they believe it completely. It is for those people that a speech like this one is so valuable. Even if the council completely ignores this beautiful, compelling speech, it will most likely win us a few points in the international community.

(3)
Anonymous,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

comment

Amen! Only im little bit more radical than you Israelis. Im not a Jew, but im supporter of yours. UN is dead organisation. Thay do not and dont want to understand what is really happaning in Israel. Only when you face islamic fundamentalism, than person understand how dangerous it is.
My opinion. Shoot all of the terrorist. No discussion with tham. Thay want war let tham get war, hundred time radical than thair war!
Sory, but i dont have tolerance for islamic fundamentalism.

(2)
Anonymous,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

A very good a moving speech.

I would hope that some of the members of the security council would listen to what was said and act posetively in the future. We should not give up hope that by repeating the facts that it could eventually sink in that Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist.

(1)
David Ghedini,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

Waste of tax dollars

Im sorry, but this is all a waste of my tax dollars as an Israeli citizen. Paying for a representative to argue before a body that is going to condemn us no matter what course we take is like throwing our money out the window.

I have had a very difficult life, beset by illness, unemployment, and disappointment from those who had pledged to care for me. I am having trouble seeing the benevolent God in all this. What do you say, rabbi?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I am very sorry to hear about the difficult times that you have had to endure. The trials that you have gone through no doubt have obviously made your relationship to God a difficult one. I can understand why.

As a rabbi, I have witnessed the most horrendous situations imaginable. I have experienced a 20-year-old who lost both of her parents in a car crash. Can you imagine a girl so close to her parents and in one day they're gone? I've lived through a husband coming home to find that his wife has collapsed, and in two days she's dead. There was nothing wrong with her before. And on and on and on.

When someone is in the midst of suffering, that's not the time to offer answers. It's a time to listen and empathize and be with the person as best you can. If there's anyone going through a painful time and is looking for a sense of relief, I am skeptical whether these intellectual answers will offer any kind of relief.

Dealing with pain and suffering is never easy, particularly since we often feel so helpless and out of control. But one thing we do have control over and that is our attitude. Try to stick to this 3-part formula:

1) Look for the positive side to things.

2) Try not to judge God, Who knows more than we do.

3) Ask God for the clarity to understand how this is for the best.

Our perceptions of good and evil are directly related to our understanding of the world. An African tribesman who never saw a hypodermic syringe in his life could think upon seeing a doctor inoculate a child that the doctor was actually trying to hurt the child! Our perceptions change with information.

Therefore the Jewish approach to "suffering" is that everything happens for the good, but since we are finite and cannot see the whole picture, we perceive some things as bad.

God has more information than we do; thus we cannot judge Him and say He is doing something bad. We trust God and say, "I haven't yet figured out why, but God knows this is for the best."

The Talmud tells the story of Rebbe Akiva who was traveling on the road late one night. His only source of light, a candle, blew out; his mode of transportation, a donkey, ran away; and his only source of food, a chicken, died. The next morning Rebbe Akiva realized that armed bandits had plundered everything in the area. Had they seen his candle, or heard his chicken or donkey, they would have victimized him as well.

We can accept pain and suffering in the world by trying to see what positive side it may have. For example, a woman whose child was killed by a drunk driver went out and started MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This organization was responsible for revolutionizing the laws against drunk driving in America, and as a result has surely saved thousands of lives. It could be said that the purpose of this child was to elevate his mother to the towering heights of greatness that she indeed achieved as a result of the tragedy.

Of course it is not always easy to find the positive side. But even the attempt helps tremendously. It is interesting that if we look back on our own lives, the times we have grown the most are not when things have gone easy, but when they've been difficult. So many times what appears as "bad" or "negative" ends up being a blessing. A person could lose their job, for example, only to realize later that was the opportunity they needed to break into a growing, new field!

In the meanwhile, we have invested so much time and energy into worrying or regretting - all for nothing and all to our detriment. It is wise to remember that worry is defined as "interest paid in advance on a debt which often times never comes due." So when we are having problems, we can ask ourselves, "What have I learned or gained?"

Also, there are two excellent books I can recommend: "Why me, God?" by Lisa Aiken (published by Aaronson), and "Confronting the Loss of a Baby," by Yamin Levy (Ktav).

In 1973, a cease-fire resolution was passed by the U.N. Security Council to halt the Yom Kippur War. Shuttle diplomacy by Henry Kissinger compelled Israel and Egypt to accept the cease-fire. Fighting, however, would continue for another four days. In the war, Israel suffered the loss of 2,600 soldiers and 800 tanks. Four years later, Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat would visit Jerusalem and announce his readiness to forge a permanent peace deal.

I told a group of people to repeat, "I am grateful to my Creator" five minutes each day for a month. Some of the results were:

* "At first I found it difficult to keep this up. This gave me a jolt. The Creator is giving me life each moment of each day and He gives me the air I breathe. Why is it so hard for me to express my gratitude? This self-rebuke gave me a strong feeling of motivation. I was committed to use the power of repeating messages to myself to build up this gratitude.

* "I realized that I would only be able to repeat this for five minutes at a time if I would sing it with a tune. So I would sing this five minutes each day. It became my favorite song.

* "The first day when I heard this, I found myself having to wait for something to start. I began to feel frustrated. Then I said to myself, ‘This is a perfect time to repeat, "I am grateful to my Creator" for five minutes.' It totally transformed the waiting into an uplifting experience. Throughout the month, I chose potentially frustrating moments to practice this. After a while, the stirrings of feelings of frustration became a trigger to begin my exercise."

* "Someone saw me smiling while I was waiting in line at my local supermarket. He asked me if anything special is going on in my life. "There are a lot of special things that I'm beginning to become more aware of," I replied.

* "By repeating, ‘I am grateful to my Creator,' I began to realize that everyone who is kind to me in any way was sent to me by my Creator. I increased my gratitude towards those people and I increased my gratitude to the Creator of it all."

May He Who knows what is hidden accept our call for help and listen to our cry (Siddur).

The Talmud states that a person may be coerced to perform a mitzvah even if it is required that the mitzvah be done of one's own volition (Rosh Hashanah 6a).

But are not coercion and volition mutually exclusive? Not necessarily, explains Rambam. Inasmuch as the soul of the Jew intrinsically wishes to do the Divine will, and it is only the physical self - which is subject to temptation - that may be resistive, the coercion inflicted upon the person overcomes that external resistance. Thus, when one performs the mitzvah, it is with the full volition of the inner self, the true self, for at his core, every Jew wishes to comply with the mandates of the Torah.

There is a hidden part of us, to which we may have limited access, yet we know it is there. When we pray for our needs, said Rabbi Uri of Strelisk, we generally ask only for that which we feel ourselves to be lacking. However, we must also recognize that our soul has spiritual needs, and that we may not be aware of its cravings.

We therefore pray, said Rabbi Uri, that God should listen not only to the requests that we verbalize, but also to our hidden needs that are very important to us - but which He knows much better than we.

Today I shall...

try to realize that there is a part of me of which I am only vaguely aware. I must try to get to know that part of myself, because it is my very essence.

With stories and insights,
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